Double-wire shelf



y 25, 1965. D. ORSER 3,185,314

DOUBLE-WIRE SHELF Filed 962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENT OR. ZaW/e/YcEDU/se/ L. D. ORSER DOUBLE-WIRE SHELF May 25, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. -2, 1962 9 v IN VENT OR. L wreace .0 Omar ATTORNEYS United States Patent Iowa Filed Nov. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 235,050 Claims. (Cl. 211-453) This invention relates to improvements in a doublewire shelf, of the type commonly made of metal, and highly desirable for use in household refrigerators, kitchen cabinets, and the like, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Refrigerator shelves and similar structures heretofore made have usually comprised a front transverse trim member or assembly, and a frame, with single wires connected to the front trim and rear portion of the frame, the wires extending between these parts parallel to each other in spaced relationship. Depending upon the size of the shelf, a center bar might be used bet-ween the sides of the frame in order :to give adequate support to the wires. Consequently the spacing etween adjacent wires was constant throughout the depth of the shelf from the front to the back thereof. Such constant space between adjacent wires frequently resulted in tipping of narrow bottles and other containers when placed upon the shelf, or tipping of them when the shelf was moved with the danger of spillage and breakage, and vegetables and other substances placed upon the shelf frequently had a tendency to partially pass between adjacent wires and frequently get caught. Some attempts have been made in the past to utilize expanded metal for the main shelf structure in lieu of the parallel wires, but ordinary expanded metal presents an exceedingly rough and uneven surface, dangerous to the hands of the user, and objects could not he slid over the shelf because of the roughness. In other instances metal has been slit, portions removed, and the remainder expanded with the top of each metal section fiat and smooth, but with such material a center bar could not be connected properly to the expanded metal, and it was therefore necessary to have each strip or section of the metal of a T-beam shape which rendered the structure prohibitively expensive.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a shelf utilizing wires as the supporting means for whatever is placed upon the shelf, with the wires arranged in pairs, whereby lighter weight or smaller wires may be utilized than where single parallel wires had been used, without the sacrifice of any strength, and such smaller wires are obviously easier to work upon.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a shelf having wires for supporting material placed upon the shelf, and wherein there is a constantly varying space etween adjacent wires from the front to the rear of the shelf, and the chance of narrow bottles or other small containers tipping between adjacent wires or material passing between the wires and becoming stuck is reduced to a minimum.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a shelf having wires extending from the front to the rear of the shelf to support articles placed thereupon, wherein the space between adjacent wires constantly varies from front to back of the shelf, and such constantly varying spaces gives an appearance of solidity which is not present to near the same extent in shelves embodying parallel wires, and which is highly pleasing in appearance, an important selling factor.

Still another feature of this invention is the provision of a shelf having wires therein to support material placed upon the shelf, which wires are under tension or pre- "Ice stressed, and therefore are capable of supporting a greater load without bending.

It is still a further feature of this invention to provide a shelf of the type highly desirable for use in refrigerators, and wherein Wires are secured to the front and rear members of the shelf as well as to a center bar, a pair of Wires entering each aperture in the front and rear members of the shelf, with such apertures in alignment, and one wire of each adjacent pair entering a single notch in the center bar, the notches in the center bar being evenly staggered with relation to the apertures in the front and rear members.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a shelf embodying principles of the instant invention, showing the same in operative position on side supporting bars along which it may slide;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View of the structure of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view indicating one manner of forming a shelf embodying principles of the instant invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar in character to FIGURE 3 exemplifying a slightly different manner of forming the shelf;

FIGURE 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VV of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the connection of the wires with the front trim of the shelf; and

FIGURE 7 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, taken substantially as indicated by the line VIIVII of FIGURE 2.

As shown on the drawings:

While, as stated above, the instant invention may be used in a number of different locations, it will be herein described, for purposes of convenience, as a refrigerator shelf. The shelf is easily mounted in refrigerator cabinets of standard or known construction, and the cabinet is therefore not illustrated.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention comprises a U-shaped frame including a side member 1, a rear member 2, and another side member 3. To complete the frame a front member 4 is provided which is secured to the side members 1 and 3, and this front member is usually in the form of a decorative trim and shaped to function as a handle with which to slide the shelf back and forth, all of which may be seen best in FIGURE 2. Depending upon the depth of the shelf, it often times is preferable to provide the shelf with a transverse center bar as indicated at 5, this bar being connected to the side members 1 and 3.

To form a platform on the shelf upon which articles to be refrigerated may be disposed, wires are provided which extend from the front member 4 to the rear memher 2 of the shelf frame. These wires are arranged in pairs, and by way of example I have indicated three pairs of wires with the reference numerals 6 and '7 for the first pair, then a pair 8 and 9, and a pair 10 and 11. Each pair of wires has end portions extending through a single aperture 12 in the front member 4- of the frame, and the other end portions extending through a similar single aperture in the rear frame member 2, the apertures in the front member and the rear member being directly in alignment with each other. The ends extending through the respective apertures may then be swaged, peened, or

otherwise secured to the respective frame member, as indicated at 13 in FIGURE 6, for the front member, and as indicated at 14 in FIGURE 2 for the rear member. As seen best in FIGURE 5, a center bar is provided with a series of notches 15 each of a size to accommodate two wires, but not two wires of the same pair, the notches 15 being evenly staggered relatively to the apertures in the front and rear frame members. Thus, the pair of wires 8-9 are bent so that the wire 8 occupies a notch in the center bar with the wire '7 from the adjacent pair, and the Wire 9 occupies a notch in the center bar with the wire from the adjacent pair on the opposite side, the wires being accordingly bent. Each pair of wires are held under stress in the notch by staked formations 16 and 17 on opposite sides of the notch as best seen in FIGURE 5. It will be noted, therefore, that the space between any two adjacent wires decreases or increases from the front frame member to the center bar, and then varies in the opposite way from the center bar to the rear frame member. Consequently the spaces between the wires substantially constantly vary in width. This arrangement gives an appearance of solidity to the shelf that cannot be had by parallel wires. This arrangement also renders the spaces between wires of less width than is the case with parallel Wires, and there is much less chance of narrow bottles or other containers tipping between adjacent wires, and there is much less chance of vegetables or other commodities to pass between the wires and get stuck.

It will further be noted that the shelf is substantially smooth and level on top so that articles may be slid sidewise on the shelf, and the shelf is extremely pleasing in appearance which in items of this kind is an important factor in sales.

There are several ways of forming the shelf embodied in the instant invention. One way is illustrated in FIG- URE 3 wherein each pair of wires is secured to the front and rear members 4 and 2 of the frame, as explained above, and as indicated by the fulllines in FIGURE 3. Then the wires may be spread apart in the central region of the shelf and put in adjacent notches in the crossbar as indicated by dotted lines in FIGURE 3. It will be seen that a pair of wires 6 and '7 while occupying the same hole in each of the front and rear members 4 and 2 .of the frame are spread apart in the center at the center bar and are disposed in different center bar notches along with a Wire from an adjacent pair, the wire 7 ultimately being staked into a notch with the wire 8 from the next adjacent pair of wires 8 and 9.

As indicated in FIGURE 4, a pair of wires 6 and 7 may first be staked into a notch in the center bar 5, as above explained and as shown by the full lines in this figure. Then the ends of the wires may be spread apart and inserted in the respective openings in the front and rear frame members 4 and 2. As indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURE 4, it will be seen that of the pair of wires 6 and 7, the wire 7 is pulled over and occupies the same hole in the front and rear frame members as does the wire 8 from the adjacent pair of wires 8 and 9.

Still a third method of forming the shelf would involve the use of prebent wires, but that method would undoubtedly prove objectionably costly.

Another advantage of the instant invention resides in the fact that it can be made substantially as economically as the formerly known single wire shelf which utilizes individual wires disposed in parallel relationship. Comparing the present invention with the formerly known single wire shelf, we find that where single wires were utilized the trade required about 0.125 inch diameter and 0.625 inch center to center spacing. On the other hand, with the double wire arrangement wires ranging in diameter from 0.090 to 0.110 inch may be utilized, and an 0.750 inch center to center spacing may be utilized. Obviously the smaller size wires are easier to handle and, while there are more of them than would be embodied in a single wire shelf, the original cost is less and the handling is easier.

Also, by virtue of the increased center to center spacing a double wire shelf does not require twice as many wires as a single wire shelf, but for each six inches of shelf width, ten wires would be utilized in a single wire shelf, and sixteen wires for a double wire shelf. Further, the double wire shelf requires less staking operations than the single wire shelf, since with the single wire there are two staking operations at each notch in the center bar, which means two staking operations for each wire, While in the double Wire shelf there are two staking operations at each notch in the center bar but two wires are accommodated, and so there is only one staking operation per wire. Therefore, ten single wires would require twenty staking operations whereas sixteen wires arranged in pairs require only sixteen staking operations. As a result of these economics, the instant invention may be produced without any objectionable difference in cost from the production of the single wire shelf developed heretofore.

As shown in the drawings, the side and rear members 1, 2 and 3 of the shelf frame are preferably of channel shape the channel opening outwardly. Secured to each of the side members 1 and 3 near the rear end thereof is a lug 18 having an integral loop 19 projecting therefrom, this entire lug being preferably made of nylon or equivalent material. By means of these loop 19-19 the shelf is slideable along a pair of supporting bars 20 and 21 which are identical, except for their allochiral relationship, so only one need be herein described.

As seen best in FIGURE 2 the bar 21 is preferably of channel shape in the intermediate region but has a plain bar end 22 at the rear end thereof which seats in a hole in the rear cabinet Wall of the refrigerator. The forward end of the bar is also plain and unchanneled, as indicated at 23.- T o the forward end 23 of the bar a lug 24, which may also satisfactorily be made of nylon, is connected as by a rivet 25 seen in FIGURE 7. The forward end of this lug depends below the bar and shelf and is bifurcated as indicated at 26 to snap over a pin or stud 27 mounted in the side wall 28 of the refrigerator cabinet as seen in FIG- URES 2 and 7. And the side member 3 of the shelf rides on the upper inner surface of the bifurcated portion 26 as indicated at 29. Forward movement of the shelf is limited by a pair of swaged notches 30 in the channel portion of the bar 21, which notches are spread so that the sleeve 19 will not pass thereby. Thus it will be seen that the shelf may be very simply mounted in a refrigerator or other cabinet.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that I have provided an economical, strong, yet lightweight slidable shelf highly desirable for use in refrigerator cabinets as well as in other cabinet structures. The shelf is so arranged as to prevent tipping of even narrow containers, catching of products between the wires, and is extremely pleasing in appearance. The shelf is highly durable by virtue of the wires being under tension, has a smooth upper surface, and may be readily and easily mounted in place.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shelf for refrigerators and similar purposes,

an open rigid frame,

a plurality of initially straight bendable wires extending across and secured to said frame, each of said wires being bent, and

means holding the wires in their bent condition under stress resulting from the bending.

2. In a shelf, for refrigerators and similar purposes,

an open rigid frame,

a plurality of wires secured to opposite sides of said frame and extending thereacross,

said wires being disposed with the space between adjacent wires increasing in width from one frame side to the center of the shelf and then decreasing in width toward the opposite frame side,

and a member across the center of the shelf to which said wires are connected.

3. In a shelf for refrigerators and similar purposes,

a frame comprising opposed side members, and opposed front and rear members,

initially straight wires connected in spaced pairs to said front and rear members,

a center bar connected to said side members and having connection points staggered with respect to the connections with said front and rear members, and

said Wires being laterally bent and a wire of one pair being connected to a respective connection point of said center bar side by side with a wire from an adjacent pair.

4. In a shelf for refrigerators and similar purposes,

front and rear members,

initially straight wires connected in spaced pairs to said members with the ends of the wires of each pair in side to side relationship,

a center bar having spaced notches therein staggered with respect to the points of connections of the wires with the front and rear members,

the wires of each pair being laterally bent oppositely to each other and spaced apart and engaged in a notch side by side with a wire from an adjacent pair, and

staking formations on said center bar holding the wires in each notch.

5. In a shelf for refrigerators and similar purposes,

front and rear members,

a center bar having spaced connection points therein,

spaced pairs of wires secured at their ends to said front and rear members at points out of alignment with said connection points and with the ends of each pair of wires contacting, and

the wires of each pair being spread apart from said ends and being connected to said center bar at different connection points,

whereby the space between adjacent wires varies in Width.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,631 7/06 Agnew 189-92 1,124,461 1/ 15 Kohlhepp 29-160 2,096,271 10/37 Young 189-82 X 2,109,724 3/38 Genebach 29-160 2,215,931 9/40 Money 211-153 2,274,125 2/42 Carney 211-153 2,408,083 9/46 Mack 189-82 2,634,867 4/53 Shields 211-153 2,809,580 10/57 Lawrence 29-160 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,155,571 12/57 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SHELF FOR REFRIGERATORS AND SIMILAR PURPOSES, AN OPEN RIGID FRAME, A PLURALITY OF INITIALLY STRAIGHT BENDABLE WIRES EXTENDING ACROSS AND SECURED TO SAID FRAME, EACH OF SAID WIRES BEING BENT, AND MEANS HOLDING THE WIRES IN THEIR BENT CONDITION UNDER STRESS RESULTING FROM THE BENDING. 